Zurich (HELVILUX) – The Administrative Court of the Canton of Zurich has ruled that the 2025 arrest and detention of Palestinian-American journalist Ali Abunimah were unlawful. The decision, issued on December 19, 2025, was formally delivered to Abunimah on January 5, 2026.
In its ruling, the court concluded that Zurich police acted in violation of both the Swiss constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. Judges determined that there was “no legal basis whatsoever” for Abunimah’s detention by plainclothes officers, during which he was held for three days.
The court further found that Abunimah’s detention was illegal, noting that he was denied contact with his family and the outside world throughout the period of his confinement.
